Yakuza 5 gets a cameo from Namco Bandai's Taiko Drum Master.
The wild, wacky world of Sega's Yakuza series is no stranger to product placement and collaboration. The Japanese gangster games proudly promote real-world beverages, convenience stores, magazines, and booze. And while in-game Club Sega arcades have featured games like Virtua Fighter 4 as set dressing, the upcoming Yakuza 5 will take it one step further, boasting a playable arcade version of Namco Bandai's rhythm game Taiko Drum Master into the PlayStation 3 title.
Sega's Yakuza games typically feature a handful of mini-games and diversions, including karaoke, golf, and table tennis. The latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Andriasang reports, reveals that Sega and Namco will work the 10-year-old Taiko no Tatsujin series into the next entry, which is due to hit Japan in December.
Namco Bandai and Sega are currently collaborating — along with Capcom — on Project X Zone, a cross-franchise strategy role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS.
Sega of America has not yet announced a North American release for Yakuza 5.